Digital photography and printing have expanded a variety of options for photo albums. One popular album is known as a lay-flat book wherein the opened pages are formed by a continuous sheet of paper with a folded crease in the center, but without a center page break or cut. This lay-flat book allows a photograph to be printed on the page so as to extend from the left half of the page, over the crease, and onto the right hand side of the page. Thus, large photographs, including panoramic views, can be printed substantially across the full width of the opened book or album, without having a center gap as in conventional photo albums wherein the left hand and right hand pages extend substantially one half the width of the open book.
In lay-flat books, the backs of adjacent pages are glued or otherwise adhered together in a double thick layer having two sheets of paper per page. However, there are not any machines which can quickly and easily accomplish the page gluing process for lay-flat books, at a reasonable cost.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine for making a lay-flat book.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved method for making a lay-flat book.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine having a pair of page supports which can be opened and closed for gluing the backs of creased pages together.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine and method which is at least partially automated for making the pages of a lay-flat book.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine and method for making pages of a lay-flat book, including an adhesive station which provides quick and easy application of adhesive to the appropriate page surface.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine and method for making lay-flat books which utilizes a vacuum to maintain the book pages in a desired position during the process.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine and method for making a lay-flat book wherein page supports are automatically moved along tracks for adhering adjacent pages together.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine and method for making lay-flat books which includes page supports which are moved by extensible and retractable cylinders.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine and method for making lay-flat books having an adhesive station to control application of adhesive to the book pages.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a machine and method for making lay-flat book pages which is economical and efficient, and which makes durable book pages.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.